Michele Simon has been writing and speaking about food politics and food industry marketing and lobbying tactics since 1996.

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Co-opting Science

Because the food and alcohol industries often do not have science on their side, they have to resort to Big Tobacco tactics such as buying academic experts to conduct research that is favorable to industry interests. For example, major alcohol corporations fund the International Center for Alcohol Policies, which may sound innocent enough, but that’s all part of the PR strategy.

Food lobbyists hide behind impressive-sounding names like the International Food Information Council Foundation and the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, both backed by powerful corporate entities. Each of these groups (and numerous others) distort science and public health research for the purpose of undermining public policy. Eat Drink Politics can expose these lobbying groups and help you counter their underhanded tactics.